Vapobizes foe liquid fuels



Dec. 25, 1928.

R. GODWARD VAPORIZER FOR LIQUID FUELS Filed Sept. 5, '1924 .2 Sheets-Sheet M w m T r E W 5 5 m 4 m M n w 5 ,4 5 u a I} J .217 w I 8 w [KW & 6 A; 5 I 4 4 t 8 3; H2 3 a a m 3 722 2 0 L 2 v l R Z I A 7 4 r W. l M Z V 0 r -F 1w WPWA a a ,5 mm 3 H 2 4 W WW Dec. 25, I928.

E. R. GODWARD VAPORIZER FOR LIQUID FUELS Fi led Sept. 5

. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet INVEN TOR. Eva 5Z6? fgrazn; JG, a A TTORNEYS.

'I as Patented Dec. 25 1928.-

UNITED STATES manner a. eonwann, or New YORK, N. Y-., assreuon TO rm: ncnn'sn ra'rnor. nconomzna SYSTEM comramz, LIMITED, or CHRISTCHURCH, NEW znamum,

A CORPOBATIQN OFaNEW ZEALANTD. V

varomzaa FOB mourn FUELS.

Application filed September 5,,1e24.- Serial in. 738,024.

.This invention relates, generally, to improvements in fuel Vaporizers for use in connection with internal combustion engines, and for other uses; and the invention has reference, more particularly, to a novel construct-ion of vaporizing device involving and adapted to apply the general principles of the character of vaporizer apparatus which is shown and described in my United States Letters Patent No. 1,490,919, dated Apnl 22nd 1924, and in my copending application 'for'lletters Patent filed April 1st, 1924, Serial No. 703,380, but which deals with'aln improved form of fuel delivery meansof a low velocity type. V

This invention has for its principal object to provide, in combination with a vaporizing means, a novel construction of low velocity,

bottom of said casing or mam fuel delivering device or nozzle which con;

ducts the charge of liquid hydrocarbon fuel directly into the vaporizing chamber and its coil of plates more efficiently and withless restriction.

Other objects of the present invention deal with a novel arrangement and construction of means for controlling anddelivering air for direct cooperation with the novel low velocity fuel delivery device, to produce the.

primary mixture of fuel and air upon-which va orizin element is toact. ather objects of this invention, not at this time more particularly enumerated, w1ll be clearly understood from the following de tailed description of the same.

The invention is clearly illustrated n the accompanying drawings, inwhichz- Figure 1 is a vertical longitud nal section of the novel vaporizer device and its 'low velocity fuel delivery means made accord ing to and embodying the principles of this invention Fi re 2 s another vertical longit'udinal section of the same, taken on line 2'2 in said Figure 1-; and Figure 3 is a hori-' zontal section, taken. 'on line 3-3 in said. Figure 1.

Figure 4' is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section of theair intake. meansfor the va orizer device,- illustrating the prov-i sion 0 independent controls for the'main air movement or admission and for the auxiliaryair admission.

Similar characters of reference; are employed in all of the hereinaboyie described Views,.to indicate corresponding parts.

chamber 10 and beneath the same chamber or passage .through the lower wall of t lel to said exterior sleeve 20,by

ence character 8 indicates an main body, preferably of cylindrical shape.

The interior of said casing or main body 8 is.

transversely divided by a horizontal partition 9 to provide above the same a vaporizing a heating as the chamber- 11, said partition 9 servin hot-plate of the vaporizer'elements.

into'said heating'chamber 11 is an opening 12, through whicha hot fluid may be introduced into. said .heatin chamber, such, for example, as the hot ex aust gases -discharged from an internal combustion englne. Leading out of said heating chamber is an outlet opening '13 for discharging the hot fluid from said heating chamber,

Extending centrally upward through the bod J P throughgsa d heating chamber and through the-partition or hot-plate 9 is a fuel. mixing 14, the discharge outlet of which terminates within said yaporizing chamber 10 above said partition or'Vhot-plate 9; Connected in communication with the 'lower end of said mixing chamber orpassa e 14 is an air. delivery conduit15, prov'1 ed at its outer end with'an upwardly directed extension. '16, which is positioned at gigs side andexteriorly of said casing or main y 8. -Arrangedwithin said mixing chamber or puma 14 and the adjoining portions of said air do iveryconduit 15 is the novel liquid fuel, -deliveryu'maans, the same comprising a baseblbck l7 hja ving a threaded shank 18, of reduced diameter, projecting its lower end, whereby the same may be threaded e air tlelivery condu1t15, to thus position said base-block in vertical alinement with the mixing" chamber or-passage 14. Said base-block 17 is pro- .vided in its upper end with a cylindrical cavit thereby providing-flu annular upstan in wall or flange 19 at-said upper end of said use-block. Supported by said baseblock 17, by being. telescopically fitted over the same, is an exterior tubular sleeve 20, which projects upwardly into'said mixin chamber-"or passage-1 14, and an ported par ing insert'ed into said cavity at the} upper end of said baseblock, -i s' an interiorsleeve 21, this i r. i'range ment providing ,an 'annular space between outer casingorading intake the u I and a ove the annular wall or flange 19, for

retaining a foraminous tubular liquid fuel support 22, the upper end of which projects freely beyond the sleeves and 21 and centrally through the mixing chamber or passa e a 14 into the vaporizing chamber 10. Said foraminous fuel support 22 may be made by rolling a sheet of wire gauze, of compara- 10 tively fine mesh, into a tubular formation.

Said base-block 17 is provided with a fuel duct 23, which enters through its shank.18 to extend upwardly therein .to meet and communicate with lateral ducts 24, which in turn 15. respectively communicate with vertical ducts extending upwardly through the wall or flange 19 to meet the lower end of said foraminous fuel support 22. Suitably supported exteriorly of said casing -or main body 8 is Eu a float chamber 26, of any desired construction, adapted to receive and control the'flow of liquid fuel, such as gasoline, to the ducts of said base-block. To the latter end said float chamber is provided with a delivery pipe 27, equipped with an adjustable metering valve 28, said pipe 27 being coupled, in any suit-able manner, with said shank 18 of the base-block 17 so as to communicate with the lower end of said fuel duct 23. The exterior sleeve 20is of smaller diameter than the inside diameter of the mixing chamber or passage 14, thus providing an exterior air passage around said fuel support 22 with which the air delivery conduit 15 communicates.

Transverse openin s 29 are provided in the wall or flange 19 of the base-block 17 and in' the sleeves 20 and 21, whereby air may be delivered from the delivery-conduit 15 for passage upwardly through the interior of the sleeve 21 and the foraminous fuel support 22.

Secured to said'exterior sleeve 20, so as to extend around the same and upwardly around the fuel support 22 through the exterior air passageis a spiral fin 30, whereby the air passing upwardly through the mixing chamber or passage 14 is caused to gyrate or whirl around the external sides of said fuel support 22. If

desired, a similar spiral fin 31 supported upon a central core 32 may be arranged within said interior sleeve 21, so as to extend around the.

inside surface of said fuel support 22, to gyrate the air against the same, as such air 'passes upwardly through the interior of said fuel support 22. The mechanism thus above described constitutes a very efficient low velocity fuel delivery, means for introducing into the vaporizing chamber 10' an initial mixture of liquid fuel and air, the purpose, functions and advantages of which will be 0 subsequently more fully set forth.

Arranged within the interior of said vaporizing chamber 10, so as to surround the dis charge end of said mixing chamber or passage -14, and the novel low velocity fuel delivery means with which the same is provided, is a per free ends of said sleeves 20 and 21,

combined fuel supporting and heat condueting means; This fuelsupportin and heat conducting means comprises-a p urality of vertical plate sections 33, which are curved from end to end, so thatwhen assembled together they provide a convoluted arrangement radiating outwardly from the center toward the sides of said vaporizing chamber 10. Said plate sections are spaced apart one from another to provide intermediate outwardly leading passages 34, the inner or receiving ends of which converge toward the fuel delivery means, and the outer or dischargeends of which terminate short of the side walls of said casing or main body 8, to thus provide an annular outgoing passage35. The lower edges of said plate sections 33 are arranged to contact .with the partition or hot-plate 9, so as to receive and conduct therefrom its heat. The upper sides of said passages 34 are closed by a t'opplate 36 which is engaged upon the upper edges of said assembled plate sections 33. r

The upper end of said vaporizing chamber 10 is closed over by a cover-plate 37, which is suitably secured to said casing or main' body 8, either by being threaded thereupon, orjby any other means or in any other manner found convenient or desirable. Said cover plate 3? is provided with set-screws 38', which extend downwardly into said vaporizing chamber to engage said top-plate 36 to thereby hold the same and the plate-sections 33v against vertical displacement fromthe' opera tive assembled relation above described.

In the drawings. said plate-sections33 are. i

for the purposes of illustration, shown more widely separated than would be thevcase in practice. and. in fact, the height, number, and

spacing of said plzite sections 33 are variable factors, and may be arranged, as to such characteristics, according to the capacity or kind of work to be done, and according to conditions of use. 1 q

Connected with said cover-plate 37 is a dis-- chargcvconduit 39, prefegably extending diametrically acrossthe cover-plate; Said dis-- charge conduit39 is provided with an annular enlargement 40 providing an annular passage 41, which communicates on its under side. through the opening 42, with the interior of the vaporizing chamber 10, and which also opens inwardly throughout its extent into the interior of said discharge conduit- 39. Ar-

ranged in longitudinal or axial alinemcntits convolutions closed one upon another, so

that said spring provides a normally closed wall or valve device, which opens at high engine speeds to admit auxiliary air for intermixture with the delivered vaporized fuel passing from the vaporizing chamber 10 through the discharge conduit 39 to the-engine cylinders. Arranged in the air admission end of said fitting 44 is a suitable throttle or butterfly valve 47, and, in like manner, arranged in the outlet end of said discharge conduit 39 is a throttle valve 48. As shown in Figure 7 if it is so desired, an independently operable throttle or butterfly valve 49 may be provided at the receiving end of said auxiliary air delivery conduit 43 in the rear of said valve spring 46, and in addition to said air admission throttle or butterfly valve 47 In operation a volatile liquid fuel is delivered from the float chamber 26 so as to rise through the ducts 23, 24 and 25 to the lower end of the foraminous fuel it support 22, through which, by reason of its foraminous structure, the same tends to rise and be supported by capillary attraction, so as to be exposed to the air stream delivered through the passage 14. It will be quite evident that the foraminous fuel support provides a comparatively large surface area, which holds the liquid fuel 1n suspension, while under the effects of .partial vacuum or unbalanced pres sure induced by the suction strokes of the internal combustion engine served by the vaporizer. Atmospheric air, when pressure is reduced within the vaporizer by the suction strokes of the internal combustion engine, enters through the inlet fitting '44 and passes through the main, air delivery conduit 15 to the lower end of the mixing chamber or. "passage 14 to flow upwardly therethrough around the foraminous fuel support 22. A portion of the air thus caused to flow in contact with the surface of said foraminous fuel support may, if desired, be admitted through the openings 29 to pass u wardly through the interior of the said fuel support in contact with its inner surface. In order to produce a more effective frictional sweep of the air in contact with the surfaces of the fuel support, I prefer to provide the spiral fins 30 and 31 which cause the air streams to whirl o-r gyrate around the surfaces of said fuel support with a centrifugal action which more effectively draws or forces away from the surfaces of the fuel support the particles of liquid fuel suspended or supported thereon, so that the same will readily be taken up by the air notwithstanding the comparatively low velocity of movement of the latter due to the absence of marked. or pronounced. restriction at any point in the air passages. Such an arrangement is highly efficient in combination with the vaporizing means through which the mixture of air and liquid fuel is subsequently passed, for the reason that the fuel support provides a comparatively large supporting area upon which is temporarily mechanically supported a multiplicity of minute particles of liquid fuel which readily leave the support, under the friction of the air current, so as to enter into and be conveyed by the air into the vaporizing chamber, notwithstanding the comparatively low velocity of movement of the air. Thus instead of having a single nozzle at the mouth of which but a small exposure of the liquid fuel is inertly supported so thata high Velocity of air movement is r quired to dislodge it and thus cause the same to be taken up into the air stream, my arrangement provides what may be said to be equivalent to hundreds of jets according to the mesh of the gauze (e. g. 100 per square inch) or fineness of the porosity afforded by its foraminous character, and the area of surface exposed to the air stream. Furthermore, this multiplicity of so called jets provided by the foraminous fuel support will readily yield up to the air the many minute particles of liquid fuel so long as the surface of the support is exposed to the partial vacuum, since the tension of the liquid or tendency to cling is greatly reduced when subjected to pressures less than that of the atmosphere, for under such circumstances the liquid fuel will tendto spread out and thin itself in the meshes or pores of the foraminous support so that the friction of the passing air will readily dislodge it, especially when the air is caused to gyrate or swirl as well as to advance along the surface of said support. The mechanical mixture of liquid fuel and air is't-herefore delivered, with the least possible amount of restriction, so that larger volumes of air passing through comparatively large and free air conduits may be utilized tothe end-that a required volume of intermixed fuel and air may be continuously discharged into the vaporizing chamber, wherein the liquid content of the charge is vaporized to produce a substantially dry and correct combustible fuel at all engine speeds So far as the operation and function of the plate-sections 33, and other elements and arrangements comprising the vaporizing chamber, are concerned, the same are in accord with and conform to the disclosures of my aforementioned prioi United States patent and co-pending application for United States patent.

The vaporized combustible fuel is drawn by the induction strokes of the engine pis tons from the vaporizing chamber 10 into the annular passage 41 through the opening 42, and thence pass through the discharge conduit 39 through the engine intake manifold leading to the. engine 0 linders. At high engine speeds it is desira Is that the combustible fuel be comparatively c001 upon entering the engine cylinders, which is best accomplished by increasing the ratio of air volume to gasified fuel, consequently I have provided the expansible valve spring 46 intermediate the main air-inlet 44 and the gasified fuel passage 41 arranged between thevaporizing chamber 10 and discharge conduit 39, Where by the control and direct admission of an additional volume of atmospheric air is automatically attained. The operation is such that the increased suction activity of the engine pistons will reduce the pressure within the discharge conduit 39 so that the atmospheric pressure behind the valve spring 46 will expand or distend the same, thus separating its coils and allowing additional air to rush through directly into the discharge conduit 39 to mix with the combustible fuel discharging therethrough. An incidental effect of the particular manner of thus introducing said auxiliar air is that the inrushing of the stream 0 the latter into the rear end of the discharge conduit 39 has an inspirational efi'ect tending to increase the speed of flow of the combustible fuel from the vaporizer into and through the discharge conduit under such circumstances. It will be obvious that theinitial control of both the main air and auxiliary air for passage through the apparatus may be accomplished by manipulation of the butterfly valve 47, and, if desired, independent initial control of the auxiliary air may be accomplished by providing and manipulating the auxiliary butterfly valve 49. i

It will be noticed that the air delivery conduit 15 possesses the upstanding extension 16 parallel to the liquid fuel mixing elements and the vaporizing elements. This arrange ment provides a reserve well into which the vaporized or gasified fuel will descend, and by which it will be retained when the engine is idle, because of the fact that its specific gravity is in excess of that of the atmosphere; consequently there is always reserved a volume of such fuel for starting purposes.

Having thus described my present invention, I claim 1. In a vaporizing device, means operative under low air velocity for producing an initial mixture of liquid fuel and air for delivery thereto, comprising an air intake member providing a substantially tubular passage arranged to receive air at its lower end, a foraminous liquid fuel support of tubular form concentric to and axially disposed Within said air intake member, a liquid fuel delivery means in which the lower portion of said fuel support is submerged and by which it is in turn supported, and said liquid fuel delivery means also having air admission means leading into the interior of said fuel support from said air intake member whereby the air stream delivered through the latter simultaneously moves in part through the interior and in part around the exterior of said fuel support, an internal spiral fin cooperative with the inner surface of said fuel sup-port, and an external spiral fin cooperative with the outer surface of said fuel support.

2. In a device of the kind described, a foraminous tubular fuel support, means for delivering liquid fuel to the lower portion of said support for capillary movement therethrough, and means for delivering air streams simultaneously in contact with both the interior and exterior exposed-surfaces of said fuel support, and means cooperative with both the inner and outer surfaces of said fuel support for producing a centrifugal movement of said air streams in contact therewith. I

In testimony, that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereunto set my hand this 

